The Importance of Routine
While we are all sequestered away with social distancing, I think it’s important to establish a routine and stick to it. This is something I’ve had to do for years as a work-at-home writer. Strictly speaking, I could work in my pajamas. And thanks to virtual meetings, teleconferencing, and online invoices and bank deposits, I never worry about someone coming to my workplace (home) and finding it messy. So thus, I’d never have to make my bed.
But I do.
I get up each work day, wash up, get dressed and put on my shoes. I eat a big, healthy breakfast, which I take the time to cook. I do my quiet time (a Bible reading and prayer) and then I try to be at my desk by 9 a.m. to begin my work day. I take scheduled breaks for exercise and lunch, and then I quit at 5 p.m. (earlier, if I have to pick up a kid), and then evening chores set in.
I find I’m more productive, happier, and relaxed when I stick to a routine. Studies have shown that people thrive better with routine, even us more creative, spontaneous types. I think having a routine is more important than ever now that we are all home together weathering the pandemic.
Having a Routine gives you some control.
You may not be able to control the circumstances of your world, but you can control how you respond to them. Having a set routine ensures that you get the important things done, and establishes a self-care pattern that gives you time to wash, eat, and sleep.
When I was in college, required reading for one of my literature classes was Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi. It’s an autobiographical account of Levy’s time in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. A chemist, Levi, fought hard to hold on to his humanity in the most trying of situations. What he found was that sticking to a routine helped get him through, even if it seemed that the trivial things of each day seemed pointless. They weren’t.
Every morning he washed his face in the little amount of stagnant water they had, and shaved. He washed his hands the best he could before each meal. These small things mattered in big ways, and he says that is what kept him alive and kept his spirits up.
Having a routine gives you a sense of accomplishment.
In Admiral William H. McRaven’s bestselling book Make Your Bed, he says that beginning each day with this one simple task means you’ve accomplished something before you even leave the house. It sets a good precedent for the rest of the day. Also, it makes your room look tidier. This simple act of making your bed is an example for how a little thing can help you overcome bigger things, even in the darkest of times.
I run two businesses, as an author and a book shepherd, and could easily become overwhelmed. Instead, I write down all the tasks that need to be done, and every morning I look at my list. I knock off the time-sensitive ones first, then work my way down. I could keep many of these in my head, but crossing them off lets me see what all I’ve done today, or this month, or this year.
Figure out what you need to do each day to feel successful.
Having a routine keeps you human.
When London was being bombed by the Germans during WWII, these resilient people kept up their routines. Each morning they opened up their shops, went in to work, nursed the sick and injured, fed their families, and then each evening before dusk, they crawled into bomb shelters and subway tunnels to try to get some sleep amidst the sounds of bombs exploding overhead. Some even brought in tea services and music to make their evenings more like home. The next morning, exhausted, hungry, and scared, those who were still alive got up, washed up, and went back to work. The simple fact of keeping the city running is what many say was the thing that saved their sanity.
Having a routine cuts down on your stress.
Most of us suffer from “when can I get all of this done?” syndrome. Our tasks build up and there seems no end of what we must accomplish. If you’ve ever laid awake at night and mentally made your grocery list or ticked off the bills you need to pay in the morning, you know what I mean. Establishing a routine for necessary chores cuts down on the need to think about them constantly. My parents have always grocery shopped on Thursdays. So if we were out of ketchup, Thursday was the day I knew I was getting more, and not sooner. This eliminated “when will I pick this up?” stress because they knew they had already set aside time on this particular evening to get the job done. Same thing with paying bills. My husband always pays bills on Friday. For the rest of the week, we don’t have to think about it.
We’re all stressing a little bit about food these days. Make your grocery list, find a store where you can schedule a pick-up day, place your order, and then forget about it. Task complete.
So in this time of turmoil and uncertainty, I encourage you to establish routines for yourself and your family. As the British said during the London bombings: Keep calm and carry on.
